News Release by:Ministry of Finance & The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore24 February 2003 --

Greater convenience in government services

The Ministry of Finance (MOF) and the Central Provident Fund Board (CPFB) today announced that "SingPass" will replace the CPF PAL PIN from 1 March 2003 as the common password for government e-services. 400,000 more people will be able to use SingPass to access government services, if they wish.

"SingPass" stands for "Singapore Personal Access".

The Ministry of Finance (MOF) and the Central Provident Fund Board (CPFB) explained that SingPass allows users to choose their own alphanumeric passwords of up to 24 characters. The existing CPF PAL PIN only allows 8 digits, with no alphabets.

SingPass is required for e-services where users must identify themselves online. Examples of such internet services are the filing of income tax returns, registering a business and encashing Economic Restructuring Shares. With SingPass, users need to remember only one password for dealing with different government agencies. Users can also change the password any time they wish. SingPass is the online equivalent of the identity card.

The CPF PAL PIN is only issued to CPF members. All Singapore residents above the age of 15 can apply for SingPass. SingPass will also be automatically issued to Singaporeans who register for their identity cards at the age of 15, new CPF members, and new employment pass holders and their dependents.

Existing CPF PAL PIN users will be automatically migrated to the SingPass system when they next log in to any government e-service using their CPF PAL PIN. They will be prompted to change their PAL PIN to the SingPass password before they proceed.

Singaporeans and residents who do not have a SingPass or have forgotten it can apply for SingPass and reset their SingPass on the spot at all CPF offices, all Community Development Council (CDCs) offices and selected Community Centres (CCs) from 1 March 2003. Requests for a new SingPass password or reset of password can also be made at all post offices and a password mailer will be sent to the user's home address. Additional channels for SingPass issue and reset will be made available in the coming months.

"SingPass makes it simpler and more convenient for the public to transact online with the government. Our goal is to make government e-services user-centric, intuitive and easy to use. SingPass brings us one step closer to this goal," said Mr Loh Khum Yean, Deputy Secretary (Services), Ministry of Finance.

"With SingPass, users need to remember only one password to access government e-services. This makes it more convenient for users to transact with the government. By end-2004, we expect all government e-services requiring authentication to offer SingPass access," added Mr Willie Tan Yoke Meng, General Manager, Central Provident Fund Board.

About eCitizen

The eCitizen portal http://www.ecitizen.gov.sg is the Singapore government's first stop on the web for a wide range of government services. All services and information on the eCitizen portal are conveniently categorised according to lifestyle needs. These include: Arts & Heritage, Business, Defence, Education, Elections, Employment, Family, Health, Housing, Law, Library, Recreation, Safety & Security, Sports, Transport and Travel. Users can experience a world of convenience and benefits by retrieving information and transacting online with government ministries and agencies. The eCitizen portal is owned by the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and managed by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA).